Exploring nonprofits in the social economy: The social enterprise phenomena

Social enterprises in the United States is experiencing a healthy growth evident in the growing literature. However, there have been debates as to whether these organizational types are nonprofits, private, quasi-public or hybrid organizations. Thus no new policies have been created to accommodate the business activities of social enterprises. This study attempts to provide a context for the debate by arguing that if indeed social enterprises are distinct organizational types then SBDCs who are the first point of call for most small and medium scale businesses would be better placed to help provide empirical evidence for this ensuing debate

Total Mercury Distribution in Different Fish Species Representing Different Trophic levels from the Atlantic Coast of Ghana

Concentrations of total mercury (Hg) were measured in the edible muscle tissues of different fish species representing different trophic levels from the Atlantic Coast of Ghana using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (CVAAS). Mercury concentrations were gener-ally found to increase with trophic levels. The concentrations of the metal (Hg) were highest (mean=0.093 μg g-1) in high trophic level predatory fish, followed by middle trophic level preda-tory fish (mean=0.063 μg g-1) and low trophic level fish (mean=0.047 μg g-1). However the differ-ences were not significant at the 0.05 level according to ANOVA. All fish species analysed in this study had total mercury concentrations (range: 0.001-0.278 μg g-1) less than the FAO/WHO limit of 0.5 μg g-1 wet weight. The low concentrations of mercury in the fish species obtained in this study do not appear to contribute any significant mercury exposure to the general popula-tion; and suggest a relatively clean marine environment that has not yet been significantly im-pacted by mercury contamination probably due to minimal industrial activity in the region.Keywords: Mercury; Fish; Atlantic Coast; Ghana; Trophic leve

Chemical Analysis of Freshwater Bodies in the Kumasi Metropolis and Its Environs, Ghana

One of the main environmental problems facing the city of Kumasi the second largest city in Ghana over the years has been the pollution of water bodies arising from anthropogenic activities. This has become a potential health threat to the inhabitants of the city which was formerly referred to as the garden city of Ghana and its environs. The most affected are the surrounding rural areas that rely solely on the rivers for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. This study focused on the extent of chemical pollution of these water bodies through the determination physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), Total suspended solids (TSS), alkalinity, Total hardness, nitrates, sulphates as well as heavy metals and biological contamination through the determination of total coliform and Escherichia coli. Eight samples were taken from three main rivers in the Kumasi metropolis namely Wiwi, Sisa and Subin. This data showed variations in the parameters in the samples as follows: pH, 6.67-7.50; temperature, 28-29°C; electrical conductivity (EC), 220-2120 mS/cm; TDS,10-1800 mg/l; alkalinity, 24-124 mg/l; total hardness, 25-365 mg/l; nitrates, b/d-0.47 mg/l; sulphate,0.352-40.30 ; phosphates, 5.2-30 mg/l; Pb, 6.620-6.797 mg/l; Fe. 14.81-45.65 mg/l; Mn, 0.726-4.7427 mg/l; Cd, 0.156-0.219 mg/l; Cr, 0.03-0.10 mg/l; Ni, 0.002-0.018 mg/l; Cu 0.113-2.258 mg/l and Zn 0.368-5.255 mg/l.  However, all the results obtained for the levels of the metals exceeded the EPA Maximum contaminant level (MCL) with the exception of the zinc where only one of the samples exceeded the MCL level. Keyword: environmental, chemical pollution, Maximum contaminant level, physicochemical parameters, Kumasi-Ghan

Seasonal Variation in Heavy Metal Content of Lake and Underground Water in Some Selected Towns around the Bosomtwe Crater Lake

The levels of Arsenic, Iron, Lead, Zinc, Chromium, Cadmium and Nickel in water samples from Lake Bosomtwe and Bore Holes in some towns around the Lake have been determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian AAS 220). The levels of Arsenic, Cadmium and Nickel were generally small and were below the detection limit of the instrument. The results showed seasonal variations in the mean levels of Pb, Fe, Zn and Cr in water from the Bosomtwe Crater Lake. There were significant correlations between the mean levels of Fe and Pb in the underground water in the two seasons whilst Zn and Cr showed weak correlation in underground water for the wet and dry seasons. The levels of the metals in the bore holes were generally below the WHO standard values compared to the levels of the metals in the water samples from the lake. The mean pH values for water samples from the bore holes in the towns around the Bosomtwe Crater Lake were within the WHO standard of 6.50-8.50. Keywords: Lake Bosomtwe, Borehole, Crater, Heavy metals, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

Un prélude au nationalisme togolais : la révolte de Lomé, 24-25 janvier 1933

M. A. Aduayom — A Prelude to Togolese Nationalisme The Lome Riots of 23 and 24 January 1933. The 1933 'Women's riots' or ' Stoning days' followed an increase in taxes which took place in the context of the great 1929 Depression. There were between 3,000 and 4,000 demonstrators, a majority of them women, and the trouble spread well beyond the city limits, with echoes in the neighbouring colonies of Gold Coast and Dahomey. The Duawo association, which organised the movement, can be considered as a direct predecessor of the post-war nationalist parties.Aduayon Messan Adimado. Un prélude au nationalisme togolais : la révolte de Lomé, 24-25 janvier 1933. In: Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 24, n°93, 1984. pp. 39-50

Hydrochemical characteristics of surface water and ecological risk assessment of sediments from settlements within the Birim River basin in Ghana

Abstract Background Geogenic and anthropogenic activities such as Artisanal and illegal gold mining continue to have negative impacts on the environment and river basins in China. This work studied the hydrogeochemical characteristics of surface water from the Birim River basin and assess the quality of water for human consumption and agricultural activities. In addition, the ecological risk assessment for Cd, Zn, Pb and As in sediment was evaluated using pollution indices. Results The results show that the turbidity, temperature, colour and iron concentration in the water samples were above the World Health Organization guidelines. Multivariate analysis explained five components that accounted for 98.15% of the overall hydrogeochemistry and affected by anthropogenic and geogenic impacts. The surface water was observed to range from neutral to mildly acidic, with the dominance of HCO3 −, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ in ionic strength. The Piper diagram reveals five major surface water types: Na–HCO3–Cl, Na–Cl–HCO3, Na–Ca–Mg–HCO3, Na–Ca–Mg–HCO3 and Ca–Na–Mg–HCO3. The Gibbs plot showed that the major ion chemistry of surface water was mostly influenced by atmospheric precipitation and the water quality index showed that the majority of the surface water from settlements within the Birim River basin were of poor quality for drinking and other domestic purposes. However, irrigation suitability calculations with reference to sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, and magnesium ratio values, together with Wilcox and USSL models indicated that the surface water within the area under study was suitable for agriculture. The potential ecological risk for single heavy metals pollution and potential toxicity response indices gave low to considerable ecological risks for the sediments, with greater contributions from Cd, Pb and As. Whilst geo-accumulation indices indicated that the sediments ranged from unpolluted to moderately polluted Modified degree of pollution and Nemerow pollution index calculations which incorporate multi-element effects, however, indicated no pollution. Conclusion There are some levels of both potential ecological risks and health hazards in the study area. Hence continuous monitoring should be undertaken by the relevant agencies and authorities so that various interventions could be put in place to prevent the situation from deteriorating further in order to protect the inhabitants of the settlements within the Birim River basin

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Some Tissues of Fish in Lake Geriyo, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu) was determined in the liver, gills, and flesh from benthic and pelagic fish species collected from Lake Geriyo covering two seasons. The levels of the heavy metals varied significantly among fish species and organs. Flesh possessed the lowest concentration of all the metals. Liver was the target organ for Zn, Cu, and Pb accumulations. Cd however exhibited higher concentration in the gills. Fish species showed interspecific variation of metals. These differences were discussed for the contribution of potential factors that affected metals uptake like age, geographical distribution, and species-specific factors. The concentration of metals in fish flesh was accepted by the international legislation limits for Cu, Zn, and Cd; however, Pb transcend in Clarias and Tilapia during wet season and Heterotis in both seasons, hence unsafe for human consumption and a threat to public health. These levels might be due to anthropogenic inputs as there is no industrial activity around the lake

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Additional file 1. Additional tables

Role of BaTiO3 crystal surfaces on the electronic properties, charge separation and visible light–response of the most active (001) surface of LaAlO3: A hybrid density functional study

Surface engineering has been proved as an efficient technique to boost charge separation and visible light absorption of semiconductor photocatalyst materials. Herein, we offer a first insight into the photocatalytic properties and electronic structure of cubic LaAlO3(001) modified with cubic BaTiO3 (001), (011) and (111) surfaces. Compared to the bulk LaAlO3, the BaTiO3/LaAlO3(001) heterostructures showed superior redshift of absorption, work functions and a suitable staggered type–II band alignment to separate the photoinduced carriers. The BaTiO3(001) surface coupled with LaAlO3(001) surface show improved visible light photoactivity owing to the more surface complex and terminal barium atoms forming the main active adsorption sites on its surface. These findings offer new insight into the understanding of preferential exposure of photocatalytic active surfaces, which will aid in designing active heterostructures for photocatalytic reactions, as well as understanding the mechanism of photocatalysis

Formaldehyde Exposure and Its Potential Health Risk in Some Beauty Salons in Kumasi Metropolis

Cosmetologists may be potentially exposed to high levels of formaldehyde as a result of their exposure to formaldehyde released from the various cosmetic products used in the beauty salons. In order to assess the exposure of cosmetologists to formaldehyde, the indoor air in sixty beauty salons across the ten submetros in Kumasi were sampled to determine the formaldehyde levels and the associated noncarcinogenic human health risks. Sampling was done using System Service Innovation Incorporation air sampler model 1000i, and the MBTH spectrophotometric method was used for analysis. The mean levels of formaldehyde concentrations ranged from 88.67 to 170.67 µg/m3. Out of the sixty salons sampled, 36 salons had formaldehyde levels above the WHO permissible limit of 100 µg/m3 for an eight-hour working period and also exceeded the 55 and 9 µg/m3 for chronic and acute reference exposure limit, respectively, set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The results of this study revealed that the number of customers that visit the salon in a week, number of salon services offered, and age of salon had a positive significant correlation with the level of formaldehyde determined in each salon. The health risk study also revealed that about 50% of the salons had hazard quotient (HQ) above the safety limit (HQ = 1) and may, therefore, pose health risks to cosmetologists in these salons. Results from the analysis of the questionnaire revealed that hairdressers in salons that provide the entire range of salon services captured in the study are at higher risk to the effects of formaldehyde